IS IT TRUE? August 15, 2011
IS IT TRUE that with regard to the ongoing vetting process to see which (if any) of the two respondents to the most recent RFP to build a hotel in downtown Evansville we have not yet been authorized by either the Kunkel Group or Prime Lodging to publish any Dun and Bradstreet report, personal financial statement of the principals, or any other vetting style document?…that we are hearing and even getting comments and emails from supporters of each proposal and that with only one exception the form of the comments is negative toward the other bidder?…that in complex and long term matters like this the fact that one thinks that his opponent is inexperienced and incapable is not the only key to winning this bid?…that if one of these bidders is disqualified for any reason it does not mean that the other one will vet well and get the job?…that the lack of positive statements backed up by performance and financial track record is leading us to think that there is a reasonably high probability that the City of Evansville is heading for the back to the drawing board option?
IS IT TRUE that our vote would go to the bidder that is able to convince us on paper with a verifiable history of a prosperous hotel project and operator on their team?…that we will be trying to start doing some real comparison’s of the two proposals and start posting that information this week?…that we expect that London Witte will be doing the same?
IS IT TRUE that the two candidates for Mayor of Evansville are starting to get attention from the civic organizations of Evansville?…that their lives are going to be getting busier as the voting public turns its attention from summer vacations to the fall elections?…that this will bring a thirst for knowledge about the details of the plans to tackle the real economic realities that Evansville will be facing in the coming years?…that the major economic realities that should be dominating the discussion are rooted in things like jobs, relevance, attractiveness, infrastructure, and education?…that of all of the talking points and abstract plans submitted thus far that the missing piece of the plans is always things like HOW and WHO will implement the outcomes?…that historically planning in Evansville has been infrequent but pretty good?…that where Evansville has always come up short has been in providing proper funding and focus so that the right HOW and WHO is in place?…that we are certain that in the next 10 weeks that we shall hear lots of good ideas that may find their way into plans?…that the questions of HOW and WHO need to be answered because presently the City of Evansville does not have salary brackets that are sufficient to attract the right WHO to the party for the new problems that need to be tackled?
IS IT TRUE that one of the most poignant comments heard or read over the weekend with respect to the meth related statements that the candidates for Mayor of Evansville released was regarding meth education?…that this comment was basically “if 17 house explosions in 6 months is not enough for the people of Evansville to be educated about the perils of a culture of meth, then what is it going to takeâ€?…that we agree that the meth problem in the City of Evansville and beyond is a large enough problem that it will not be solved by education alone?…that solving the meth problem whatever that turns out to be is a job that is crying out for GOOD PUBLIC POLICY?…that it will take both continuously implementing GOOD PUBLIC POLICY and education to get this scourge of meth under control in Evansville, Indiana?
The mayor or Evansville is like being President who would want it? What a mess. Terrible sewers, no plan, New Arena, old stadium no plan, meth everywhere no plan, Oh that’s right we do need to make the parks nicer. Same old Evansville, no plan, and no planning.
I’ve watched Lloyd Winnecke’s method of operation as a county councilman, council president, then as a minority member of the county commissioners, and now as president of the county commissioners. In each position and in every televised meeting, Winnecke displays poise, thoughtfulness, consideration of the public and public concerns, and total disregard of partisan politics. He listens, thinks, asks questions, and considers all the information before making a decision or casting his vote on an issue.
That is the kind of mature and business like character we need for Mayor of Evansville – someone with poise and political maturity, someone who will represent well when attending mayor’s conferences, and meeting with potential new industries and businesses looking to locate in Evansville. I trust Lloyd Winnecke not to be the “same old Evansville,” and I trust him to plan carefully, conservatively, and thoughtfully to move us forward.
It’s amazing how two people can watch the same events and see two totally different things…..I guess people see what they want or wish for in their candidates, when you see political maturity I see arrogance, when you see poise I see a stuffed shirt banker that is very much a part of the ‘ol boy network, when you see thoughtfulness and consideration, I see pandering for the audience and camera. When you feel trust, I feel fear of the same ‘ol same ‘ol that we have had for the last eight years. I guess it’s just human nature…. 🙂
JMHO
I think we all kinds of plans laying around gathering dust, just no execution.
The consultants and experts tell us the same things over and over.
1) Lack of venture capital
2) Brain drain
3) Low skills, low to middle level education of our workforce
4) Poor infrastructure (Sewers etc.)
5) Crummy parks, little to no bike paths
6) Shrinking population and tax base
7) No smoking ban
8) Strong resistance to change
Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
It’s execution we lack, not plans.
A lot of people laughed when Davis/Winnecke made statements about meth (“Wow you’re against meth? SURPRISE!”), but it really is a serious issue that I hope both of them are willing to address when elected.
Law enforcement is not the answer. Neither is education of our youth. We’ve been increasing our budget on both of those things, and houses keep blowing up at a higher rate.
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